Awards, Honours and Rankings

The University of Waterloo has been ranked 25th on Fast Company’s inaugural Ignition Schools 2024 list, recognizing the top 50 universities worldwide that are driving innovation and entrepreneurship. Waterloo is also the third-highest ranked Canadian university, following the University of Toronto and McGill University.

University of Waterloo researchers have been awarded more than $3.3 million to support research infrastructure and solutions to societal challenges through Canada Foundation for Innovation and Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC). The announcement was shared by the Honourable Marie-Claude Bibeau, Minister of National Revenue at the Université de Sherbrooke, on behalf of the Honourable François Philippe Champagne, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry and the Honourable Mark Holland, Minister of Health.

The University of Waterloo is proud to welcome a new cohort of science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) students through the Schulich Leader Scholarship program. Out of 350,000 potential candidates, 100 high school students across Canada have received this award, and 10 are joining Waterloo this fall.

Students pursuing an engineering degree will receive $120,000, while students in science, technology or math will receive $100,000. The scholarship will cover university expenses and allow students to focus on their studies, research projects and entrepreneurial ventures.

The University of Waterloo has again been ranked the best amongst Canadian universities for producing successful entrepreneurs with undergraduate degrees, according to the 2024 PitchBook university rankings.

Two University of Waterloo researchers, Drs. Ihab Ilyas and Laura Hug, are being recognized as a Royal Society of Canada (RSC) fellow and a member of the RSC College.  

For an energy scientist, few things are more prestigious than receiving a Royal Society U.K. Hughes Medal. Named after Welsh-American scientist and musician David E. Hughes, who invented the first working radio communication system and the first microphone, the Hughes Medal is awarded yearly for outstanding contributions in the field of energy. Although the medal is rarely given to someone outside of the U.K., this year, Dr.

Six recipients of the Loran Scholars Foundation have travelled across Canada to pursue their academic careers at the University of Waterloo.  

The Loran Scholars Foundation looks beyond marks when selecting their candidates — Loran Scholars are students who demonstrate integrity, courage, curiosity and a commitment to service. 

Loran Scholars will receive awards worth up to $100,000 over four years to support their studies, as they continue to embrace the challenge of making the world a better place for all.  

University of Waterloo researchers take pride in identifying and solving significant, complex challenges facing humanity and our planet.

Recently, the Canadian Institutes for Health Research (CIHR) announced that seven Waterloo researchers will receive funding to carry out ground-breaking work to improve our nation’s health and strengthen our health care system.

The CIHR is Canada's leading federal funding agency, collaborating with partners and researchers to support health-care discoveries and innovations. 

Small island communities contribute less than one per cent to global greenhouse gas emissions but suffer disproportionally from climate change effects and are struggling to adapt to the crisis. Their experiences underscore a critical need for solutions that cut across sectors to help address social inequities and enable a more climate-resilient future for everyone.